


Adam Asks Tricky Questions

by Mossyrock



Series: Ineffable Husbands Bingo [10]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Adam Young Ships Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Adam asks questions, Aziraphale goes into teacher mode, Eavesdropping Crowley, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 22:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21309307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mossyrock/pseuds/Mossyrock
Summary: Aziraphale and Crowley attend Adam's 16th birthday party. It couldn't possibly be worse than Warlock's... Could it?For my Ineffable Husbands bingo prompt - Birthday parties.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Ineffable Husbands Bingo [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1476251
Comments: 16
Kudos: 148





	Adam Asks Tricky Questions

“Adam’s birthday is coming up in a month,” Aziraphale casually slipped into the conversation one overcast day, as he and Crowley sat on their favourite bench in St James’s Park.

There was silence for a moment.

“And..?” Crowley turned away from his observation of the ducks and the MI5 agents feeding them, to look at him after sensing that no other information was forthcoming.

“He’s having a birthday party. We’ve been invited,” Aziraphale continued, as if it should be obvious.

After the whole almost apocalypse incident, the angel and demon spent a decent amount of time in Tadfield. It was a village much like most other villages that surrounded it. It wasn’t unique or special in any way, but that’s exactly why they liked it. After everything, a bit of boring was a nice change of pace.

“And you’re going to make me go, aren’t you?” Crowley sighed.

“No, my dear. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” He said. But his pout said ‘_please, come with me’_.

And the sparkle in his eyes said he knew that Crowley would.

Because Crowley knew he had the choice to pretend to protest. But he also knew, just as well as Aziraphale, that he would go with him. Where Aziraphale went, Crowley followed. He decided to save them time and energy by just agreeing.

But he would sigh and frown, just to show the angel that he wasn’t happy about it.

“Fine. I’ll go with you,” He sighed. After all, it couldn't be as bad as the last birthday party they went to.

Aziraphale beamed at him as if he had made his millennium and Crowley couldn’t help but think it was simultaneously the most adorable and manipulative thing he’d ever seen. Aziraphale knew what he did to him. He knew exactly how to look pathetic and helpless, despite the fact they both knew full well that he was anything but.

“But no more pretend magic, alright?” He grumbled.

The smile slid off the angel’s face and Crowley cursed his uncanny ability to ruin a good thing.

“Fine,” The angel replied, looking away. Crowley knew the look of hurt that would be inhabiting Aziraphale’s face, if he could see it. It would be the big, blue puppy dog eyes and the slight frown, with the furrowed brow. Crowley knew it like he knew the back of his terrestrial body’s hand. Because he

a) Caused the look a lot

and

b) Had made it his mission to stare at Aziraphale as much as possible. He thought he knew just about every expression by now.

The look of disappointment and hurt was the worst. A demon shouldn’t feel guilt and shame, but when Aziraphale looked up at him with that face, Crowley could almost fall to his knees and beg until Aziraphale forgave him.

* * *

The day of Adam’s birthday rolled around. It was exactly 5 years since the near apocalypse had been set in motion. The world still spun and life continued uninterrupted. The list of people who knew they’d almost been wiped out was shockingly small. Amongst those people, was Adam and his three young friends, Anathema and Newton, Shadwell and Madame Tracy, and the two supernatural beings. It was a bizarre band of people that had seemingly nothing in common.

Mr and Mrs Young weren’t quite sure to do about their son’s new friends, when they’d first met them. After all, they weren’t harmful – though Mr Shadwell could be more than a little disconcerting. In the end, they’d become accustomed to Adam's weird band of friends and accepted that their son was not quite normal. They just didn’t know why. Which was probably for the best.

They all gathered in the Young’s back garden for the party – which was vastly smaller than that of Warlock's – and sipped on a fruity punch that was far too sugary while eating snacks that were far too bland and tasteless.

Adam had changed since the angel and demon had last seen him. He had grown to at least five foot six and his blond curls had grown out to a shaggy bush. He still had all his charismatic charm, but had lost much of his boyishness.

Aziraphale was proud of him. Despite his genetics, he’d become – to all who saw him – a perfectly ordinary young man. What the humans couldn’t see was that he still had some powers that regular children didn’t. Aziraphale worried sometimes that he might use those powers for unnecessary or nefarious purposes, but so long as he and Crowley kept an eye on him, they could steer him right, Aziraphale hoped. So far, all had been well. 

They might not have been his Godfathers like they were Warlock's, but at least now, they were his friends. His guardian angels, as it were. 

Aziraphale looked around the sun-drenched garden, watching as all the guests mingled and chatted. His eyes lingered on Crowley, who stood out in his characteristic head to toe black. Everyone else was in t-shirt and dresses, considering the unusually warm weather – courtesy of the birthday boy.

The demon was currently arguing with the young Pepper about something or other. It was amusing to see Crowley go toe to toe with the headstrong young lady. He knew who would win the argument and he hoped it wouldn’t put Crowley in a foul mood for the rest of the day, since he was the one who had to share the car ride home with him.

He retreated inside to refresh his glass of punch. His glass had been warmed by the sun and made the liquid unpleasantly warm. As he plunked a few ice cubes into the cup, he gazed out the window at the now petulant-looking Crowley and the smirking Pepper. It warmed him surer than the sun warmed his drink.

“Aziraphale?” A timid voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Adam standing behind him, looking nervous. It was uncommon for Adam to be anything but entirely self-assured.

“Yes, my boy?” He smiled at him, in what he knew to be his most reassuring way. He sent a little calming wave at the young man and saw as his shoulders lost a bit of their tension.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, you may.” Aziraphale had always encouraged questions from the young ones. Adam had never had any hesitations before, asking the angel all sorts of questions about history and Heaven.

Aziraphale enjoyed teaching more than most other things. He’d done a stint as a teacher, back in the 18th Century. His students had been wonderful young boys, eager to learn. He’d been disappointed when Heaven had told him it was time to move on. He sometimes thought about teaching again, but he like his life as it was now, filled with his bookshop and Crowley.

“What is love?” Adam asked awkwardly.

Aziraphale smiled. If there was one thing he knew, it was love. It made up every fibre of his being.

“Love is many things,” At Adam’s expectant look, he continued, “There are many types of love, of course. The Greeks argued that there are at least 4 types of love - the agape, eros, philia and storge loves.” His voice slipped into professor mode. He wished suddenly that he had a chalk board, but he didn’t want to bore the poor boy.

“What are they? What do they mean?” Adam asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Agape is the love that God has for you and all Her creations and the love you have for Her. Eros is romantic love, between partners. Philia is the love you have for your friends, Pepper, Wensleydale and Brian. Then there’s the storge love, which is the love you feel for your parents – your human parents – and the love they feel for you.”

Adam looked a little confused.

“But what does it _feel_ like?” He pushed.

“Love feels like a warmth, like curling up with a nice cup of tea, under a blanket, in front of a nice roaring fire. Safe, secure and happy. But each love is slightly different.”

“How are they different?”

“Well, agape love is faith, the feeling of God’s love filling you, guiding you along the right path. It can feel different for different people, but for me, it feels like purpose and righteousness. It is a pure and holy love,” He paused, closing his eyes and breathing in the love of God. 

He might be estranged from Heaven, but his link to God had never wavered. It still filled him. As long as he had Her grace, he didn’t need the other angel’s respect or regard.

“Philia is the joy in having people understand you, liking the same things as you. It’s mutual respect and friendship. It feels like trust and companionship, the certainty of having people you can rely on and can rely on you – like you have with Pepper, Wensleydale and Brian.”

Aziraphale thought about his books, his shop and Crowley’s friendship, even before he’d dared to call it that. He’d always known he could rely on Crowley, right from the very start. He’d never even thought to question it – though he probably should’ve. An angel trusting a demon? It’d never been done before. But he’d known, deep down, that Crowley would never hurt him.

“Storge is the love your parents feel for you, protecting you and raising you. It’s the safety you feel, when you know your parents love you unconditionally and will love you forever.”

Adam nodded thoughtfully, looking out the window at his parents who were talking to Shadwell and Madam Tracey and looking slightly overwhelmed.

“But storge can also be the long-lasting love of partners. It is the longest enduring love, the unconditional love, knowing you’ll always love the other person. It’s eternal.” This was the love Aziraphale thought he’d never really had. God was his parent, his maker, but Her love was not like human parents. Her love was conditional. He knew that only too well.

Aziraphale did know eternal love. He just didn’t dare name it.

He stopped. Adam was still listening and looking thoughtful. When Aziraphale trailed off, he looked up at him, confused.

“And the last one – eros?"

Of all the loves, Aziraphale knew eros the least. He had known temptation and lust, but eros... He glanced at the window at the still pouting demon, who was desperately pretending to be unbothered by Pepper’s triumph but failing miserably. It made him smile.

“Eros is harder to describe. It is the love between lovers, the sexual love. But it's also the joy of new relationships. It’s often described as a spark, but for me – I mean, for some – it’s more like a flame inside you that grows and heats your belly when you see them. It’s the desire to be around them, touch them, share affection and passion. Eros is short lasting, based on beauty and romance, but it can turn into the other types of love...” He trailed off again with an unnecessary clearing of his throat and a sheepish smile. He tugged at his tie, suddenly feeling the warmth of the day, even in the cool kitchen.

“How do I know if I’m in love, the eros kind, with someone?” Adam asked, clearly very interested in the answer, but pretending not to be. He was picking at his fingernails nervously.

“Oh, well… I’m not sure. You just feel it, I suppose. There is no one way to tell, I’m afraid. Many poets and authors have tried to capture the exact feeling, but it is elusive.” Aziraphale had read just about every book on the subject, but nothing had quite described it as he felt it. But a feeling was inherently hard to describe, even if you had millennia to try and get it right.

“Oh, ok.” Adam shrugged, trying to look unconcerned. Aziraphale recognised it after so many years with Crowley. Adam looked a little pink on his cheeks and Aziraphale miracled a layer of sunblock on him, to ensure he didn’t burn further, when they returned to the garden.

“How did you know?” Adam asked after a moment.

“Know what?” He asked, taking an unnecessary sip from his cup.

“Know that you felt the eros love for Crowley?”

He struggled not to choke.

“Oh, well… I don’t… I mean to say, that I…”

Adam was looking at him as if he’d lost his mind and Aziraphale wasn’t sure he didn’t agree with him.

He sighed and looked at the innocent child, who was asking sincerely for his help and guidance. What sort of angel would he be if he refused to answer on the grounds of his own pride?

He sighed.

“I didn’t realise it, at first. I think I first knew that I loved him with the philia love, of friendship and companionship. We formed our alliance and became friends, of a strange sort. He was kind and funny, so different than I’d been taught that a demon should be.” Thinking back to Eden, he couldn’t explain why he’d trusted Crowley. He hadn’t really seen him as a demon. He’d seen him as a fellow being, just trying to do their best. He’d seen the good in him.

“After so many years, I knew that I loved him with the storge love. We had been friends for so long, that I began to trust him unconditionally, even though he should have been my enemy.” He hadn’t always loved Crowley. But after they kept meeting, decade after decade, and they began to know each other, Crowley had become his closest friend. He was the only other eternal being on the planet. It made sense that they gravitated towards each other.

But it was more than that. Crowley had never let him down. They shared their thoughts, their hopes, their fears. Crowley knew him better than any other creature and never judged him – unlike the other angels.

“For the agape love, he is one of God’s creatures. I am designed to love all of Her creations, but Crowley was also an angel once, and I felt his kinship, our common purposes.” He wished he had known him, before the Fall. Maybe he could have saved him. Or maybe he would’ve been dragged down with him.

That thought didn’t scare him like it used to.

He paused and saw the expectant look on Adam’s face. He could do this. He could help this boy to understand and maybe help himself too.

“Eros… Well, I suppose I’ve always felt it. Crowley is beautiful, of course. His smile has always stirred a little bit of that love in me. He has treated me with affection, even when we barely knew each other. An angel and a demon should have been inspired to hate each other, but his gentle love and thoughtful gifts have shown that he cares for me. Not the same type of love as I feel for him, of course, but at least philia love... I hope.”

He never did know where he stood with Crowley. They pushed each other away as much as they let each other in. But Crowley had stuck with him, even after they no longer needed the Arrangement. That must mean something.

“So, you do love him? But you aren’t together? Even though he loves you too?” Adam looked at him, confused, like he couldn’t understand how complicated love could be. But at his age, of course he didn’t. He was a smart young boy, but he was still so new to the world.

Aziraphale chose to ignore the last question, in favour of maintaining what was left of his sanity.

“Yes. But don’t worry about me, dear child. Why do you ask all these questions?”

There was a long pause, during which Adam's eyes wandered everywhere but Aziraphale.

“There’s a new girl, in my class, Jennifer.” His face had gone a deeper and more widespread red. He shuffled uncomfortably.

“Ahh. Well,” Aziraphale beamed at him. He had his first crush. Aziraphale knew how much of a landmark this was in a human’s life. He was thrilled to be included in it, “I’m sure she’s someone special.”

“She is.” He grinned back. He looked so genuinely relieved to have gotten it off his chest.

“Then I wish you happiness, my dear boy.”

“Thank you, Aziraphale.” Adam stepped forward, giving the angel a sudden hug. It took Aziraphale by surprise, but he hugged him back, a gentle smile lighting his face and a warmth flooding his chest.

After a moment, Adam let go and looked a little surprised by his own actions too.

Aziraphale cleared his throat again.

“Well, I think it’s time to get back to the party, don’t you?” Aziraphale glanced back out the window. The group had all congregated at the end of the yard, where Dog was doing tricks. Crowley was no where to be seen.

“Thanks, Aziraphale.” Adam headed back out the door. Aziraphale watched through the window as he jogged down the lawn to join the others.

Aziraphale took a deep breath and tried to calm his thoughts. Being in love with Crowley was hardly news to him.

But it was the first time he had admitted it out loud, let alone to another being. It made it feel somehow more real.

“Hey, angel.” Crowley materialised at his side. It made Aziraphale jump.

“Oh hello, my dear.” He attempted to smile at him, but it didn’t feel quite right.

“So, Adam cornered you, huh? He’s a curious one.”

Aziraphale gave a weak laugh.

“He is indeed. What’s he been asking you?”

“Just questions about his dad. His real dad... I’m afraid I may have shared too much,” Crowley looked somewhat guilty, but then, he was always guilty of some type of mischief or another.

“So long as you haven’t encouraged him to take after him or cause mischief,” Aziraphale cautioned. He knew Crowley wouldn’t. They’d been lucky to avoid the apocalypse once. There was no way Crowley was going to risk it happening again by encouraging his devil-like instincts.

“Of course not, angel. You worry too much.”

The kitchen lapsed into silence, they could hear the commotion from outside through the slightly ajar window.

Aziraphale hadn’t turned from the window, and neither had Crowley. They simply stood side-by-side. Aziraphale stole glances from the corner of his eye, but with Crowley’s glasses, he couldn’t be sure if the demon was likewise glancing at him.

“What was Adam asking you this time?” Crowley asked.

“He, um, he has a crush. He just wanted some divine assistance in figuring out if it’s serious or not.” He skirted the truth. If it wasn’t a lie, he couldn’t feel guilty.

“And he came to you?” Crowley asked, sceptically.

“Just because I’ve never had a relationship doesn’t mean I haven’t seen millions in the millennia we’ve been on Earth. I’m a creature of love,” He replied, perhaps a little too defensively.

“Trust me, I know you are, angel.”

Aziraphale turned to look at him. His head turned too, but with his eyes still hidden behind the dark glass, Aziraphale couldn’t be sure where he was looking.

His stomach clenched. He knew that Crowley wouldn’t just come out and say anything, but he must have heard at least some of his conversation with Adam.

“How much did you hear?” He tried not to let his voice waver, but he knew that he hadn’t quite succeeded. His hands wrung together.

“When he asked you how you knew about, um, well, me.”

Aziraphale’s heart dropped.

“Oh.” So, basically everything. Aziraphale wished Heaven would suddenly open and steal him back so he could avoid this conversation.

“Listen, don’t worry about it. If you want to take it all back...”

Aziraphale wondered if Crowley had recently been hit very hard on the head.

“Why would I take it back?” He asked, tilting his head to observe the subtle play of emotions across Crowley’s face. He looked pained or as if he were concentrating very hard.

Aziraphale wished he could see his eyes.

“Because you didn’t want me to hear?” Crowley shrugged and leaned back into the L of the kitchen counter. Crowley never did seem at ease, unless he was leaning or lounging. Not that it made him seem any more at ease at that moment. The furrow of his brow always gave him away.

“I didn’t,” He answered honestly, “But just because you heard doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Oh. Ok. Good. Great,” Crowley replied. He’d gone a deep and worrying red.

“Are you alright, dear?” Aziraphale wanted to reach for him, to comfort him. Since the whole almost apocalypse debacle, they had become much more comfortable with casual touches here and there. They didn’t have to keep so much distance, now that Heaven and Hell knew they were friends. It was nice, to just be friends.

Aziraphale hoped he hadn’t ruined it.

“I’m fine. Absolutely fine.” He seemed to forcefully stop himself from saying more. Aziraphale tutted at him. He was clearly not fine.

“Dear, please, this doesn’t change anything between us, I swear.” He wasn’t going to beg, but he also didn’t want Crowley feeling uncomfortable around him for the rest of their (probably) long lives. Or worse, not being around him at all.

“I can’t believe you believe that all I feel for you is maybe philia. Maybe! Angel, how can you be so blind?” He crossed his arms over his chest with a hmph.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to demean our friendship.”

“I swear, Aziraphale, if you say one more word about friendship, I will get in that car and leave you here.”

“You do realise I can just will myself back to the shop?” Now he thought about it, they never needed to travel by car. Yet they always did. At some point, they seemed to have reached a mutual agreement to do so. It was a chance to spend time together.

Crowley waved his hand as if to say ‘_semantics_’.

“That’s not the point. You think I don’t love you in all the ways you love me?” He took his glasses off finally and Aziraphale was treated to the sight of his beautiful golden eyes, looking at him more intensely than he’d ever seen before.

“I never presume to know what you’re feeling.” He didn’t even know what was happening right at that moment. He was trying not to get his hopes up, but the look in Crowley’s eyes was something he couldn’t quite understand.

“From now on, angel, presume that I love you too. In every possible way,” He pushed off the counter and took both Aziraphale’s hands in his, “In fact, I think I helped define the types of love, just for you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good then.” He beamed up at Crowley, who huffed, but grinned back.

A noise from outside drew their attention and they turned, only in time to see many heads duck beneath the windowsill.

The only one still standing was a smirking Adam, who seemed very pleased with himself.

“Told you so,” He laughed, “Ouch!” He glared at someone on the ground.

Mrs Young stood and brushed the dirt from her trousers.

“Alright, who wants some birthday cake?”

**Author's Note:**

> Be honest, did you think "Baby don't hurt me" when Adam asked what love was? 
> 
> Comments are love. Kudos are hugs. 
> 
> Any errors, let me know.


End file.
